Asymptote
by yellyme
Summary: "An asymptote is a line or curve that a graph approaches, but never meets or intersects." Clear blue eyes, shiny blonde hair, and that goofy grin. Watching the kid in front of Hikari was like seeing a ghost from the past materialize itself in the present–a manifestation that reminds her day by day that what happened had happened, and what had not…hadn't. Bittersweet nostalgia.


"An asymptote is a line or curve that a graph approaches, but never meets or intersects."

Friday mornings were always special. Among the five school days, Friday is the only day where students wake up with a smile–a sense of excitement and anticipation filling the classrooms and corridors as their heads are filled with numbers, yes, numbers, to aid them in accurately predicting the remaining school hours of the day before the weekend finally starts.

However, this Friday was different. You could practically feel the heightened thrill and restlessnessspilling from every classroom–from every seat–and who could blame them? Once this day is over, it's officially the start of summer vacation. One month of no school, sleeping in, hanging out with friends, or just lazing around the house for a whole day doing nothing. Even the teachers are looking forward to it, but there's still a couple of hours before that so Hikari's not wasting any time with her Algebra class.

Picking up the whiteboard marker, the classroom immediately falls into a hush as the students quickly grab for their notebooks and pens. By the time she started drawing the x-axis, the only sound that could be heard was the squeaking sound of the marker being dragged across the smooth surface of the whiteboard.

"On a graph, an asymptote will look something like this…" Hikari proceeds to trace a curve on the first quadrant of the graph, the height of the curve bent towards the graph's origin, the end of the curve parallel to the x-axis drawn continuously–the farther it goes from the origin the lower it dropped closer to the x-axis, to the point where it's almost touching.

"Now, this line could go on until the end of this whiteboard, or it could even traverse into the rumored Digital World, but it will never, ever touch or cross the x-axis. It will only get closer, and closer, little by little," Hikari continues. The rest of the hour was spent with her elaborating more on asymptotes–the different kinds, the formulas used to determine which is which, and she even managed to have the class solve a problem or two before the bell rings.

The once tense atmosphere finally dissipates in a form of sighs and relieved laughter, and everyone is eagerly shoving their things into their bags when Hikari speaks up for her closing remarks. "Okay class, I guess that's it for today. Oh, and before I forget, you guys aren't safe from algebra this summer break," cue the groans and students whispering amongst themselves in disbelief.

Hikari just grins and tucks her grown bangs behind her left ear. "I'll be sending your homework to your class representative later tonight." Her eyes wander to the class representative at the far end of the classroom andthe student nods in recognition. "I'll be counting on you to distribute it to the whole class."

"You'll be submitting that first thing next term so avoid cramming and be sure to do your homework first, okay?" Hikari's class replies with a dispirited 'yes', and she finally dismisses them.

"Enjoy summer break!"

Yagami Hikari, or just Kari as she's affectionately called by her peers and students, isn't a terror teacher. If there was a survey given to determine the nicest, most angelic teacher that there is in her school, she'd come out on top by a landslide. Some would argue that she wouldn't even hurt a fly. If only they knew who she really was–a DigiDestined who helped save two worlds, twice–they'd have their eyes bugging out of their sockets. The real world had built her up as that nice and cheery teacher who's mature and pays her taxes dutifully, but that's just one side of her. So whenever she feels like balancing out her saintly persona, she'd pick on her students with light schoolwork and assignments over the break. The first time she dumped them with summer homework, she thought everyone would change their perception of her (and she hoped it did), but it didn't really do much. She was still Saint Kari of Algebra Class.

"Uhm…" the classroom was nearly empty when one of her students approaches her table. She peels off her gaze from her papers to look up to him. A smile immediately graces her face at the sight of the lanky tenth grader–a warm and fuzzy feeling filling up her chest. Sometimes she wonders how odd this scenario must sound like to someone who doesn't see her beyond her halo and delicate white feather wings. She can already see her colleagues looking at her with wide eyes, mouth agape at the notion that her words could have denoted.

So she was careful not to focus much on him when they're discussing his outstanding academic record, careful not to speak up in his behalf whenever she overhears teachers wondering about his personal matters, careful to always remind herself that Yamato signing his parental consents makes more sense than her signing them. Because she knows that somewhere along the way, people will notice.

And once people notice, they will ask questions. Once they ask questions, they expect an honest answer. And the extent of truth permissible by circumstances could not possibly justify why she felt the way she felt. Not when the truth involves memories of the many adventures she's gone through in an alternate world known to many as just a mere figment of imagination. Not when he reminds her so much of _him_.

Clear blue eyes, shiny blonde hair, and that goofy grin.

The warmth in her chest wasn't because she was attracted to him. It was most definitely not because she was nurturing forbidden desires for the kid. God, no.

It was simply nostalgia. Because watching the kid in front of her was like seeing a ghost from the past materialize itself in the present–a manifestation that reminds her day by day that what happened _had_ happened, and what had not… _hadn't_. Bittersweet nostalgia.

Standing in front of her with a smile was Takeru's son, Akira.

"Is something the matter, Takaishi-kun?" Hikari starts, crossing her arms over the papers that she was attending to just seconds ago. Akira chuckles briefly. "It still feels so weird when you call me by my last name," he says before shoving a piece of paper into his backpack. She chuckles too, because he has always been 'Akira' since the day he was born–his father always 'Takeru' since the day they met.

"Well, I was wondering if you could help me out with something next week," the teenager sheepishly states. "Hm? About what?" Hikari asks, her one eyebrow arching in curiosity. "Well, you see…I was planning on arranging something…for someone…" the teenager mutters the last words into a whisper, his eyes finding the pencil holder on the table quite interesting. A corner of Hikari's lips lifts up to a smirk.

"Is this about Kaori-chan? Are you going to make something for her this summer?" the Algebra teacher eyes the teenager in a teasing way and waggles her eyebrows knowingly. Akira immediately flinches in embarrassment, covering his flushed face with his arm. "N-no! No it's not that!" he replies frantically.

Hikari crosses her arms over her chest in amusement. If there was something that Akira didn't inherit from his dad, it was his smoothness when interacting with other people. Like Takeru, Akira was the ladies' man, but compared to Takeru, Akira can't handle the attention very well, a trait she was most sure the kid inherited from his mom. He easily gets flustered and is very shy around girls, most especially if he's around the one he likes. It wasn't the first time Akira asked Hikari for help in wooing Iori's daughter, but she still can't help but tease the boy. It was adorable.

"Ehh...really now?" Akira tries to regain his composure and clears his throat. "It's not Kaori," he answers, his cheeks still tainted with a hint of pink. "It's someone else…" Then the teenager meets with her eyes, a familiar glint in those clear blue irises suggesting that she brace herself for what he's going to say next.

"Dad's coming home."

* * *

Hikari's son was about to turn two years old when Akira was born. Much like the time when she gave birth to Kou, seeing Akira born into the world had her feeling overjoyed and thankful. After all, Takeru was like family to her, and she was beyond happy that Akira was delivered without major complications.

It was also around that time when she and her husband decided to split. It was one of the most heartbreaking things she's ever had to go through, but there was no going around their irreconcilable differences. And for Kou to grow up with just a mom was better than growing up in a home with both parents fighting about every little thing everyday. But separating with him was one thing, preventing Taichi, Daisuke, Yamato, Takeru, and even Jou, Koushirou and Iori, from secretly assassinating him was another. Even the women in the group were secretly plotting something. Hikari was their most precious little sister, no one was allowed to break her heart and walk away without a broken bone, or ten.

It was comforting that even after all that they've been through–growing up, having jobs, building families–these people that she'd considered as her own brothers and sisters all those years backstill had her back.

After the split, Takeru's family often invited them for meals–Kou, most of all. Hikari often had to work until late back in the day, and Akira was more than happy to have Kou around to play with. It also helped that the Takaishis house was just around the when Hikari finally got her life sorted and things back on track, Meiko fell terribly sick and had to be hospitalized.

Takeru's son was about to turn two years old when his mother passed away. Much like the time when Hikari was at her lowest point in life, she and the others were there for Takeru and Akira as they mourned the loss of the most important woman in their lives.

And then it was her turn to take care of them–invite them over for meals, Akira especially, because Takeru got even more engrossed in his writings, and things had become difficult between them. They would usually butt heads, with Hikari lecturing him and Takeru being stubborn about his decisions. Hikari ultimately concedes. During those times, Hikari couldn't help but think about the irony between loss and inspiration–how sadness manages to bring out the rawest of emotion from the deepest parts of the human soul. How grief could produce some of the most beautiful, outstanding, heartfelt pieces.

But when Hikari reads a snippet of the novel Takeru was working on one random night, she realizes that writing was his way to cope with that irreplaceable loss–an avenue by which he can thoroughly express how it felt to be in her comforting embrace, how soothing her voice was whenever she speaks, how the world becomes a beautiful array of bright, vibrant colours whenever she's in picture, and how he'd never get to experience any of these again now that she's gone.

It was his way of telling her one last 'I love you' and, ultimately, 'goodbye'.

* * *

"Do you think he's going to like this?" Akira asks as he and Kou were putting up balloons and streamers up on the wall in the living room. Kou pauses to look at Akira who just continued to put up the streamers on his part of the wall. The older boy notices the great worry in Akira's expression and sighs.

Walking closer towards him, Kou chops the back of his head lightly, to which Akira flinches. "What are you talking about, Akira?" Kou says incredulously. "Of course he's going to like it! You prepared this for him and all, right? I bet Ojii-san won't even be able to hold back the tears when he gets home." Kou affectionately ruffles Akira's golden locks and pats his back.

"How do you know?" Akira asks, fixing his hair.

"Well," Kou pauses for a bit before adding, "I know because he loves you." Kou smiles at the younger teen who's brows were now knit in confusion.

"He loves you very much, Akira."

A heavy silence engulfs the room as the two of them stared awkwardly at everywhere but each other. Akira didn't exactly know the full picture, but he can at least tell that there was something heavy on Kou's mind, and right now he might have gotten a grasp on what it is. Stealing a glance at the brunette, he sees his downcast eyes, his fingers blindly fiddling with the piece of paper he was holding.

It was Akira's turn to chop Kou's head, accidentally hitting him a tad bit harder than intended.

"Ow!" Kou grabs the back of his head in pain. Akira bites back a laugh and apologizes, "Oops, I'm sorry. Pfft…" Kou looks back at him with an incredulous expression but breaks into laughter not long after.

Hikari, who was sorting the china in the dining room nearby, smiles at the sound of the two boys' laughter. But the frown that comes after was inevitable–as inevitable as the moment when these two boys realize their need to fill in the long-missing puzzle pieces in their hearts.

* * *

"WELCOME HOME TAKERU!"

Confetti and streamers flew everywhere and the place was instantly in a festive mood. There was good reason too. Other than the fact that Takeru's back, everyone's also here–the original DigiDestined and the second generation ones. They also brought their kids, which wasn't anything big since most of them go to the same school and see each other on a daily basis anyways, but it did make the place even livelier. Hikari was sure she saw Kou pushing poor Akira to go talk to Iori's daughter.

"I was seriously surprised! I didn't expect to see everyone like this together again right off the bat." The adults were casually lounging out in the backyard while the kids were hanging out upstairs. They were probably gathering more embarrassing stories about their respective parents with the purpose of torturing them with an embarrassing trip down memory lane later when they get home.

"I mean, look! Even Mimi-san is here," Takeru motions to the pink-haired beauty sitting on the chair beside him. Mimi giggles at the attention given to her and winks at the blonde. "Anything for you Takeru!" she says playfully.

It was a wonder how the conversation among them seemed to flow so naturally. There was little to no dead airs, even during dinner. Someone always had something to talk about, something to ask, something to share, and Hikari loved it. She loved the fact that she could be here with everyone again—talking about their past adventures, the good and the bad, the glorious and the embarrassing—and she can laugh and have fun without her companions being wary of the halo that they force her to wear. Here, there was no Saint Kari of Algebra. Just, Hikari.

The night went on. The group's conversation jumped from one topic to another, sometimes in a snap, other times after someone gets embarrassed and said someone forces to change the topic. It was hard to keep track of the things that they talked about, but it didn't matter. Every one of them indulged in the present and just went with the flow.

"Takeru's not just _some_ guy! He's one of the brothers born with superior genes. Just look at him! He already has a tenth grader but he still looks impossibly handsome in this thirties," Koushirou exclaims when Sora and Miyako asks him why he still gets wary over guys making physical contact with Mimi after Takeru hugs her. Everyone just laughs in response. His wife wraps her hands around his arm and holds it close. "Koushirou, you are _so_ cute. I love it. Please don't ever change," Mimi plants a kiss on his cheek resulting in Koushirou's already flushed face to turn a shade darker.

"And, if it makes you feel better, Mimi actually chose you over mister superior genes over here," Sora slightly sways towards Yamato who was sitting beside her to lightly bump him. Mimi whips her head to look at Sora with an incredulous expression,"Sora! How could you?!"

Another round of laughter ensues before Mimi's menacing glare makes Sora realize how greatly mistaken she was with revealing that teeny bit of information about her, and there was no stopping the pink haired woman now. Hikari most definitely enjoyed this. You know, the unearthing of hidden secrets in the most unconventional times, and by Mimi's definition of hidden secrets it means secret crushes and unrequited loves from back in the day. No one is too old to find out who liked who back in the day, and it'll be handy in the future, too, as a kind of leverage (they were evil that way).

The names and heart-pointed arrows just scattered all over the place. If Hikari were to illustrate their relationship chart, it'd be one confusing collection of crisscrosses because more names outside of the group somehow made their way to the conversation. Everyone was pretty much on their toes every time Mimi opened her mouth. It all was in the past but it still is definitely embarrassing to bring up in the present for the people concerned.

And when Mimi mentioned Hikari's crush on Takeru, Hikari indulged on the dumbfounded expression that Takeru made. He proceeds to look at her with a questioning look—a request to clarify—and all she could do was smirk in amusement.

 _You were too dense, you idiot,_ she thought, and as if he's heard her, he starts to open his mouth to say something only to be interrupted when Miyako and Ken's daughter comes to ask Hikari about where the floor mop was located. It seems like the kids were having as much fun as the adults. Hikari stands up to lead her to where the cleaning apparatus was and when she came back, the group were already busy talking about another topic, and Takeru didn't try to catch her eyes again.

* * *

It was already forty-five minutes past twelve in the morning when the Takaishi residence reverted back to its peaceful and quiet atmosphere. Everyone hadn't been in the house for quite that long, but somehow she already feels as if the living room's too big for her to be picking up the last of the used plates on the coffee table. She wonders when they'll be able to get together like that again.

Takeru was in charge of cleaning up the backyard. Earlier, she'd insisted that he went to bed already. He was already tired from the trip home, he must've felt exhausted after the party, but Takeru wouldn't have any of it. "It's my house, It's not right to let a guest do all the cleaning while I shamelessly slept." Takeru also insisted that he do all of the cleaning, and as much as Hikari was tempted to give into the offer, she was partially responsible for the party anyways, and thus partially responsible for the mess left in its wake.

At around one fifteen, Hikari finishes cleaning the living room and kitchen and goes up to Akira's room to get Kou. One could argue that she should've let Kou help her in the first place, but she decided against the idea. Now that Takeru's back, Kou and Akira won't be spending that much time with each other anymore, so she let them hang out together for a bit longer.

Was that the only reason? Hikari would likely reply with a matter-of-fact 'yes', and in front of other people, there would be no contest. Saint Kari had a reputation of never telling lies—that whatever words escaping her lips is nothing but the divine truth. She scoffs at the notion. If it were someone like Mimi, she'd probably be pestered into telling the absolute truth.

 _Did you want to be alone with Takeru?_ Hikari will likely say yes—for various reasons.

 _Did you hope you'd have a chance to talk?_ She'd answer another 'yes' because, honestly, they didn't really get to talk much with everyone taking every opportunity they can to catch up with the younger blonde. Plus, she had something important to discuss with him.

However, Takeru took his sweet time with cleaning the backyard and here she was, done with her end of the deal and has exhausted all but one remaining reason that's allowing her to stay inside the home; the only reason being to fetch Kou. Hikari figured they could talk in another time.

It was after the third round of knocking did Hikari turn the knob of the door to Akira's bedroom. She slowly opened the door, curious as to what the boys were up to that they didn't care to open the door. The lights were still on, so it didn't take much time to guess what it was that was happening in the room.

Hikari found herself smiling at the sight of Kou comfortably sleeping on the bed while the owner of the bed was sprawled out on the floor, also seemingly sleeping comfortably. It had been a while since she saw the two sleep like this, the last instance being a time where the bed still had enough space for both of them to fit and roll around in their sleep. Hikari also likes this—the sight of their kids getting along as how they did in the past. She lives every day to see such happy smiles painted on their faces.

But tonight, she and Kou really needed to go home.

Hikari was about to step into Akira's room when she feels a hand settle on her one shoulder. She turns her head to see Takeru behind her, his usual warm smile gracing his face.

"I think it's better that you don't wake them up," he says in a hushed tone, looking over her shoulder to see the sleeping boys. Hikari moves so that her back touches one side of the door frame, her eyes back to watching the slumbering duo. "So you finally finished cleaning up?"

Takeru mirrors her and presses his back against the opposite side of the doorframe and follows her train of sight. "Took you long enough," Hikari adds with a smirk.

Takeru chuckles. "Yeah," he turns to look at Hikari with a smile tainted with slight mischief, "in more ways than one."

Hikari arches a brow at his statement and makes the mistake of looking at his face. It was closer than she'd anticipated—less than an arm's length away—and she almost jumped, almost turned her head away, but she didn't. Instead, her eyes were prompted to observe his face, watch for things that have changed since they last saw each other a year ago.

If anyone were asked to identify what was different about Takeru now from himself one summer ago, they'll probably comment on his diligent trips to the barber shop since his hair didn't seem like it had grown even a millimeter. They'd notice he's gotten older, maybe even point out the fine lines on his forehead, or the rogue gray hair sprouting here and there. If they got to look at his face this closely, they might also notice a light scar on his jaw just below one corner of his lip. He probably got that from an attempt at shaving without the use of an electric shaver.

They wouldn't notice how he didn't lose any weight, probably because it wasn't something worth commenting on, but for Hikari, it was. It means that he's eating well. Not skipping any more meals, not relapsing to his previous ways. It was proof that he was living well, deciding better, and fully realizes that his son still needs him. She feels her chest fill with warmth.

But before Takeru could say something, she pops out one of the many questions she's had stored up in her mind.

"How long are you staying for?" she keeps her eyes on him, but doesn't look in too deep. It takes a moment for Takeru to reply, as if he was taking time digesting each word that she had just said.

His eyes then turn to look up at the ceiling, a hand rubbing the scar on his jaw. "Hmm…I have no idea, quite frankly."

"After publishing my fifth book, I'm not sure if I still have enough creative juices left in my brain," he adds, his blue eyes disappearing behind his closed eyelids as his cheeks rise up from a smile.

Another short pause. The two best friends looks back at the slumbering duo.

"He planned this, you know," the brunette speaks up. "Akira."

Takeru crosses his arms over his chest and heaves a sigh, "I know, Sora-san told me." Then he snorts.

"I can't believe he doesn't hate me after going AWOL for most of his childhood."

Hikari hits his arm hard and he jumps, "Ow!"

"So _now_ you think about that? Geez," Hikari mimics his crossed arms and huffs in disappointment.

"I've never really been a good father," Hikari hits him again, harder this time, and looks him in the eyes. They were clear blue.

"Don't you ever say that," Hikari says, her auburn eyes furious. "You may have had your shortcomings, but you're here right now, right? Alive and breathing."

For a moment, Takeru's gaze faltered. She was right. He knew she was right, but he wanted to hear her say it, still. He was alive, and all thanks to them.

"And Akira doesn't hate you. He never did, so you can calm down," Hikari adds, easing her eyes back to the slumbering boys, just in time to see Kou shamelessly turning in his sleep as if he was in his own bed. She makes a mental note to scold him when they get home.

"Thanks for not letting him hate me. You've raised him well," Takeru casually takes one of Hikai's hands and places it in between his. "I owe you, so, so much."

She looks up at him again. No doubt. His eyes were _really_ clear. And it took all of her willpower not to let her guard down.

Hikari extends an arm and places a hand on his shoulder, "You don't need to thank me. We're best friends. That's what we do." She shows him a pursed smile. Takeru replies with his own.

Then he holds her gaze, and she lets him. There was a moment of silence, as it always does when they lock eyes, because for Takeru, looking into Hikari's warm brown eyes reminds him of the many times he's stared into them all his life and immediately those instances seem to flash in his mind like seeing people on the sidewalk from a moving car. Nostalgia.

Bittersweet nostalgia.

Hand no longer on his shoulder, he tries to hold on to the one still in between his palms.

"What Mimi-san said earlier," he starts, his body unconsciously tensing a bit, "Was it true? That you had a crush on me before."

The way he almost muttered the word 'crush' was so cute. Hikari had to stop the urge to laugh. Suddenly they feel like teenagers again.

Hikari smiles in amusement and answers, "Yeah. Is it that surprising?"

A slight blush appears on his cheeks when his eyebrows raise incredulously.

"Of _course_ it is! I've had the longest crush on you, did you know that?"

Hikari chuckles and replies, "Yeah I know."

"Of course you know now since Mimi-san mentioned it earlier."

"Nah, I've known about it since before that."

Letting go of her hand, Takeru just stared at her. First with a blank expression, then when her words sunk in, Hikari had to muster all the willpower not to laugh hysterically at his horrified expression.

"Before that? Y—you mean…?" he asks, his voice pleading not to hear the words he'd not want to.

Too bad Saint Kari can't lie.

"Yep. I've known _all_ along."

Takeru gasps, his eyes still wide in disbelief.

"All those times?"

"All those times. For the record, you weren't exactly good at hiding it. Everyone knew about it, well, except Taichi, I guess, but that's probably because you're on the same wavelength when it comes to things like this. And we grew up together. I know you too well to figure out that something's up."

Takeru's facepalm was so full of feeling that Hikari worried he might have cracked his forehead upon impact. Luckily, Takeru didn't show any immediate signs of a concussion. He covers his face in for a moment before muttering, "Gods, this is so embarrassing."

Then he suddenly shoots up to look at her again.

"But if you knew already, then why didn't you say anything?" asks Takeru, and suddenly Hikari found it hard to smile. A small tinge of pink also staining her cheeks.

"You liked me too right?" suddenly she could feel the tables turning. It was Hikari's turn to be cornered and embarrassed. "For how long?"

Hikari stared for a moment, contemplating on whether she should answer him or not, but given that this was all in the past anyways, she figured it was time.

"For an even longer time than you, you idiot," she answers, trying hard not to act shy in this situation.

"Then why didn't you say anything?" he presses on. Takeru was staring intensely—paying close attention to everything his peripheral vision can take in, watching out for the slightest of changes in her expression in case she tries to answer between the lines.

"Well…I always thought we'd always be together no matter what…" then she goes and looks back at the two kids to check of they were still sleeping. They were.

"That's how you saw it, too, right?" she adds. "Which is why you, too, didn't say anything." She looks back at him, his eyes still fixed on her face.

"I'm sorry," he suddenly says. Hikari tilts her head slightly to the side.

"Why?"

" _Because_ , if only… _if only_ I knew," Takeru's brows furrowed as he looked down to the floor between their toes. Hikari's breath hitched. For a while, she found herself not needing to breathe.

If only he knew, then what? He wouldn't have fallen in love with someone else? It was unfair to put it that way. It wasn't like it was all his fault. She should have said something sooner as well. They were both to blame. She would always find herself going back to that time, and maybe doing things differently, but she's stopped doing that since a long time ago.

Wishing for time to turn back wouldn't be something that the Hikari now would want either. She can never un-wish her child. She can never un-wish Akira either. Never.

"It was a long time ago," says Hikari, her voice low and mellow. Takeru sighs and looks up to her. Those clear blue eyes. She wonders how many times she's had to put her guard up when seeing them in the old days. He was always taunting her. Those eyes were always questioning—searching. For what? The real meaning behind her words, perhaps. Now, he's making her spill and not run away anymore. To tell him what she's really thinking of. For her to say the words that she now knows he's been waiting to hear since they reunited.

But before she could say anything, something in his gaze changes, then he replies, "You're right."

Hikari could feel her heart drop, but she tries her best to not let her disappointment show. Finally noticing the tears already pooling in her eyes, she wipes them away swiftly. Since when did she look like she was about to cry? She takes another look at his eyes, and there she knew he was holding back from reaching out to her—desperately keeping himself from closing that small gap between them.

And maybe it was at this point where she found out. It was faint—just a hint—and a tad bit unsure, but she can't.

Not when Akira finally has his father back.

Regardless of how she felt, or if he seemed to reciprocate that feeling, reality is, they aren't teenagers anymore. Now, they have children that need more of their attention, and Akira has been deprived of his attention for too long. She can't take him away from his company. It would be unfair to him.

She also has some things to take care of with regards to her own child. Kou has finally come to that point where his questions are not rhetorical anymore. He needs his answers, and maybe meeting with his father after all this time might give him the validation that he seeks.

"Mom?" Kou's faint voice cuts through the tense air. Hikari snaps out of her reverie and takes her full attention to her son rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Relived, she enters the room, careful not to step on Akira, and grabs onto his ear before hauling him out of Akira's bed.

"Ack?! Mom!"

With Kou in tow, Hikari addresses Takeru again, "I'm terribly sorry for my son's behavior. As punishment I'll also let him sleep on the floor when we get back."

"What?!" Kou reacts, but was just ignored. Takeru chuckles and convinces Hikari to let the boy's ear go. Kou heads downstairs first, leaving both of them alone again with a still-sleeping Akira on the floor.

"So…I guess we better get going," Hikari says. Takeru purses a smile and crosses his arms over his chest again. "Guess so," he replies.

Hikari then nods to Akira's direction, "Tuck him in well, okay?"

Takeru replies with a warm smile, "I will."

Going down the stairs, Hikari felt a mixture of emotions. Relief, disappointment, joy. She didn't know. It wasn't the kind of talk that she had anticipated, but it was fruitful in a way, and that made her smile unknowingly. So when Takeru called out to her as she reached the ground floor, the sight of that smile made Takeru reply with his own.

He trudged down the stairs and offered her something. Hikari looked at the item curiously, wondering why he's giving it to her.

"I already have a copy of this. You always sent me the first one, remember? Fresh from the press," Hikari says with an eyebrow raised. Takeru insisted she take the book, more excitedly than expected. It was his latest work. A story about a boy who was given the power to travel back in time to fix his mistakes, but ultimately realizes not everything can be fixed by going back, and that some things are better left how they had happened. A story of regret, perseverance, second chances, and acceptance.

"Review," Takeru says. Hikari tilts her head slightly. "You didn't give your feedback yet."

Hikari cracks a smile. "How could I when you were off on your book tour?" she takes the book and quickly runs her fingers through the pages.

"Well I'm here now," Takeru replies. There was a slight pause between the two.

"Saturday afternoons," Hikari starts.

"Here at my place," Takeru adds.

"Over coffee," they both say at the same time which resulted in two quick laughs.

"It's great to have you back," Hikari says, pressing the book now against her chest.

"I'm glad to be back."

* * *

Hey there! So yeah, I'm still alive. Just so busy with life overall. So here's another Takari story for y'all. If you've read my first published Takari fic, I wrote this almost immediately after I finished writing that one. The reason why it took me so long to upload this is because I can't seem to formulate a good ending. Procrastinating too long had its consequences though, as my writing style has *degraded lol* changed in the past year. But yeah, I tried.

I hope you guys enjoyed reading this!


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